National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" aired a story yesterday in which they set the Case-Shiller home price index to music. Enjoy.
Report: Homelessness calls to Vermont 2-1-1 up 30%
Vermont 2-1-1's analysis of calls to the helpline in 2010, shows calls related to homelessness were up 30 percent over the previous year.
Some other findings from the organization's recent report:
Housing data site updated
We've just completed our latest update to the "Vermont housing data profiles" section of Vermont Housing Data. We've added or updated:
Report's housing affordability claim debatable
The Vermont Economy Newsletter released its annual housing affordability analysis yesterday.
Art Woolf, the report's author, states
HUD publishes Burlington area housing market profile
The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has published its Housing Market Profile for Q4 2010 for the Burlington/South Burlington area.
Some highlights:
Housing, population data bare closer examination
Today's story on the front of the Burlington Free Press, "Census sense: Housing, population data in Chittenden County crisscross," tells us what a lot of people working with housing data already knew: Numbers can be difficult to interpret.
Writer Joel Banner Baird ponders housing numbers that seem to be growing faster than population.
Population growth slows in all Vermont counties
According to last week’s release of Census 2010 results, no Vermont county was spared the population growth slowdown that occurred in the state during the past 10 years.
In fact, three counties (Rutland, Windsor, and Essex) lost population in the most recent decade.
Vacancy rate statistics can mislead
Vacancies figures for Vermont released yesterday might give a false impression of the amount of available housing in the Green Mountain State.
New numbers from the 2010 U.S. Census show Vermont has a 20.5 percent vacancy rate. While that number may be accurate, the devil's in the details: That statistic includes Vermont's substantial stock of "vacation" homes — units that may, in fact, have no one living in them year-round, but are also unavailable for sale or rental.
HUD: Worst case housing needs up 20%
The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) reported to Congress yesterday "worst case housing needs" grew by more than 20% from 2007 to '09. That figure represents a growth of 1.2 million households.
Closing costs jump 37% in 2010
On average, closing costs rose 37% in 2010, according to Bankrate.com's annual survey of the closing costs for a $200,000 home purchase mortgage.
Home buyers faced increased origination fees from lenders and increased fees from third parties for items such as appraisals and title insurance.